ITHACA, N.Y. – The season is nearly here for the Cornell equestrian program, as the team will kick off the 2021-22 campaign with a pair of shows at RIT on Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. in Rochester, N.Y.
 
Led by captains Anjali Velu and Talia Aley, the Big Red will be a balanced mix of returners and newcomers, with 15 student-athletes returning to the team this year to help guide the 13 newcomers. Of the 15 familiar faces, nine are seniors, and Velu and Aley are among them. Velu will continue to compete in the highest divisions possible this season, open flat and open fences, after showing in the divisions the last time the Big Red competed during the 2019-20 season. Aley will compete in the pre-novice division.
 
Seniors Jane Stevens and Annaliese Hines will open the season competing in new divisions than the last time they suited up for the Big Red. Hines remains in the limit flat division, but has advanced to intermediate fences. Stevens will make jumps in both of her divisions. After having competed in limit flat and fences in 2019-20, Stevens has moved up one division to intermediate flat and two divisions to intermediate fences.
 
Head coach Joanna Novakovic '03 enters her eighth season at the helm of the program in 2021-22. The last time Novakovic's Big Red competed, she helped the team qualify a program-high eight riders to the Zone Championships before the abrupt end to the season. Cornell had a pair of regional champions crowned, including Liza Pacchiana in limit flat, who returns to the team this season. Hannah Braun also qualified for zones after earning the title of Reserve Regional Champion in introductory. Braun will compete in the pre-novice division this year, while Pacchiana will show in intermediate flat and limit fences.
 
Several rookies will be making their collegiate debuts this weekend, including Emily Pecsok in novice and Lauren Aubert in intermediate flat. The line-ups for both shows remains consistent from day-to-day, except for in the novice division, with Pecsok competing Saturday and Catherine Thrasher entering the rotation on Sunday. Indigo Pavlov will compete in the division both days. Here's a full look at who will be competing for the Big Red this weekend.

Saturday, Oct. 16

Introductory: Ashley Ardila
Pre-Novice: Talia Aley, Hannah Braun
Novice: Indigo Pavlov, Emily Pecsok
Limit Flat: Bianca Garcia, Katherine Philipp, Tara Tremmel
Limit Fences: Alexandra Miranda, Katherine Philipp, Tara Tremmel
Intermediate Flat: Lauren Aubert, Jane Stevens
Intermediate Fences: Bianca Garcia, Isabel Hall, Annaliese Hines
Open Flat: Isabel Hall, Anjali Velu
Open Fences: Jane Stevens, Anjali Velu

Sunday, Oct. 17

Introductory: Ashley Ardila
Pre-Novice: Talia Aley, Hannah Braun
Novice: Indigo Pavlov, Catherine Thrasher
Limit Flat: Bianca Garcia, Katherine Philipp, Tara Tremmel
Limit Fences: Alexandra Miranda, Katherine Philipp, Tara Tremmel
Intermediate Flat: Lauren Aubert, Jane Stevens
Intermediate Fences: Bianca Garcia, Isabel Hall, Annaliese Hines
Open Flat: Isabel Hall, Anjali Velu
Open Fences: Jane Stevens, Anjali Velu

The Cornell equestrian team will return home next weekend to host the first of two back-to-back home shows on Sunday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Nov. 7 at the Oxley Equestrian Center in Ithaca, N.Y.